National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed concerns over recent opposition alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the ruling party remains dominant across the country.
Nentawe spoke while reacting to the decision of the Nigeria Democratic Congress to zone its presidential ticket to the South.
According to him, the APC does not see the development as a threat, arguing that opposition parties are currently more focused on internal rivalries than challenging the ruling party.
“The fight today is not between APC and the opposition. It is opposition parties fighting themselves,” he said.
The APC chairman maintained that the ruling party had continued to demonstrate electoral strength across the country, citing its performance in recent elections and the number of governors and lawmakers under its platform.
“All the by-elections conducted, some opposition parties have not won any. APC remains the most prepared and organised political party in the country,” he stated.
Reacting to claims that opposition parties had recorded gains in the National Assembly, Nentawe downplayed the significance of the defections, noting that the APC still controls the overwhelming majority of elected positions nationwide.
“We have more than 400 legislators, 31 governors and over 600 local government chairmen. Compared to that, the numbers being mentioned are insignificant,” he added.
On the absence of some APC governors, including the Rivers State governor, from the ongoing screening exercise, the party chairman said governors who were yet to appear had informed the party of official engagements in their states.
He noted that governors, as chief executives of their states, would be screened at their convenience once they were available.
“Governors have responsibilities in their states. Anytime they are free, they can appear before the screening committee,” he said.
